Percival Te Awhina (known as "Nick") Nicholson (Ngai Tahu/Ngati Porou), was a Christchurch JP and jazz/dance band musician of very high standing, both locally and nationally. Nick was a teacher and a performer, and was a founder of the Christchurch Musicians' Club, an organisation that has acted as both a social and a welfare organisation for local musicians.
Nick Nicholson was one of a group of great local musicians who performed jazz, his own compositions, arrangements of Maori material and overseas standards, middle-of-the road pop music etc, in restaurants (at a time when the Christchurch restaurant scene was just starting to blossom), in working men's clubs, at dances, and for broadcasting. Nick was a highly-regarded teacher of guitar, working from his studio in the old Plimsoll building in Manchester Street, alongside Tommy Kahi (guitar), Leon Jayet (drums) and Marcie Shepherd (piano accordion). These four teachers combined to hold an annual gigantic concert of all their pupils - 300-400 kids at a time - in the old Civic Theatre in Manchester Street, with guest artists such as Howard Morrison in tow. In the late 1960s Nick formed the Neketini Brass ( a sort of local response to Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass), and had a number of very successful releases here and overseas (through EMI).
Nick was something of a rarity in his day as a Maori jazz/danceband musician in his ability to read, and write music, a skill he learnt while in the RNZAF as a member of the Airforce Band.
son of Rangi Nicholson (Ngai Tahu) and Agnes Sciascia (Ngati Kahununuga). Husband of Florence Nicholson.